tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14815894.post5239652695330872232..comments2024-03-27T06:52:45.545-04:00Comments on Bayblab: Brain size is proportional to the number of friends you can haveKamelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15548259062576527751noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14815894.post-50207976238527178042007-08-21T11:14:00.000-04:002007-08-21T11:14:00.000-04:00a facebook paper. cool. i wonder if someone's doin...a facebook paper. cool. i wonder if someone's doing a PhD project on facebook?Baymanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03436172198266062229noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14815894.post-51815142561224123642007-08-20T21:34:00.000-04:002007-08-20T21:34:00.000-04:00According to this paper the degree distribution of...According to <A HREF="http://arxiv.org/PS_cache/cs/pdf/0611/0611137v1.pdf" REL="nofollow">this paper</A> the degree distribution of friends on facebook shows a very sharp decline at 250 friends.<BR/><BR/>Maybe online communication increases this number even higher?Aftersoxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17226686075665504483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14815894.post-34763335990233899652007-08-20T19:31:00.000-04:002007-08-20T19:31:00.000-04:00I don't know about the size of the brain, but one ...I don't know about the size of the brain, but one could question your grooming skills Kamel. oh snap!Anonymous Cowardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13315733940344340689noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14815894.post-61800483044668568972007-08-20T14:11:00.000-04:002007-08-20T14:11:00.000-04:00More seriously, though - Malcolm Gladwell's book T...More seriously, though - Malcolm Gladwell's book The Tipping Point has a nice discussion about the Dunbar number and other sociological phenomena.Kamelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15548259062576527751noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14815894.post-25763767198853540012007-08-20T14:09:00.000-04:002007-08-20T14:09:00.000-04:00Ha ha. I'm glad you brought up facebook. Maybe t...Ha ha. I'm glad you brought up facebook. Maybe the prediction is that facebook users have smaller brains because they need this extra tool to keep track of their social network. I know Myspace users seem to be below average intelligence. I don't know how well the Dunbar number holds for MMORPGs and other online groups since we all know they don't groom.<BR/><BR/>Or maybe the 'friend collectors' on those sites (you know, the ones with 700 friends, that they couldn't possibly know more than in passing) are subconsciously compensating.Kamelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15548259062576527751noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14815894.post-16630615107870305252007-08-20T13:54:00.000-04:002007-08-20T13:54:00.000-04:00Very cool. Along the lines of Dunbar's magic numbe...Very cool. Along the lines of Dunbar's magic number 150, that reminds me of a random fact I recently came across - apparently there's an idea in schools of business management that each person can only effectively supervise up to 12 people - although the same source that quoted this figure seemed to think that this arbitrary figure was inspired by the Bible, as Jesus son of God had 12 apostles and one betrayed him so he must have been overtaxed. Ha.<BR/><BR/>Hmmmmm 12^2=about 150 hmmmmmmmm....(joke)<BR/><BR/>Would one predict that those who are addicted to facebook have bigger brains than those who don't? If so, evolution is clearly starting to backfire...virtual friends wouldn't be too much use in a street brawl.Baymanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03436172198266062229noreply@blogger.com